Late Fall 2016. Somewhere east of Cleveland.
Me: “Hey Dad, how’s it going?”
Dad: “Great! How are things with you Nate?”
Me: “Fine…except, I think my furnace might be broken…everytime it cycles up to heat up the house, it kicks back off again.”
Dad: “Hmmm. How’s your furnace filter look? Sometimes if those get blocked up, it will cause it to short cycle.”
Me: “Furnace filter…right…and that is located where exactly?”
This is a nearly perfect reenactment of the actual conversation I had with my Dad right before the second winter we lived in our first house. Somewhere deep in my mind, I’d like to believe that before that call I knew furnaces had filters and that they should be replaced regularly. Unfortunately, whether my subconscious knew that or not, I hadn’t replaced the filter in a full two years. Turns out they are supposed to be replaced every 3 months. Whoops…
Don’t be like 2016 me. Replace your furnace filters every 3 months. It’s easy, not terribly expensive, and it helps your furnace run better. This means cleaner, safer air for your family and less strain on your furnace. This can extend its life and allow it to run at optimum efficiency. Don’t forget, if you have Central Air Conditioning, it runs through the same HVAC system so this isn’t a “winter only” kind of thing
To find your filter, look for where cold air enters the system from the rest of the house. The filter is usually behind an access door or panel and should just slide right out. Wondering which kind of filter to get as a replacement? Take out the old one and the dimensions should be written right on it. If you’re really stuck you can even take the old one to your local hardware store to compare to the new ones. Just make sure to line up the air flow arrows in the right direction when putting the new one in. And that’s it! You’re now a more responsible homeowner!
Pro Tip: I now have Amazon subscribe and save setup for my furnace filters. (exciting, I know) This way, every year I get 4 filters without even thinking about it. From there, I have calendar reminders set to tell me when its time to switch them out each quarter.
Left: Clean air filter. Right: Not so much.
This “clinical pearl” is first because it was the spark that caused me to ask myself: “What don’t I even know to ask about or watch for now that I own this house?” This question inspired all the posts that follow.